Chapter Three

A/N- Sorry for the huge hiatus. I hope you like this chapter.
I am also looking for a beta reader for Broken Strings, so if anyone is interested please PM me!
Some tribute spots are still open so please don't hesitate to send me some tributes! Details on my profile and in the first two chapters.

Tatiana Octave- Capitol Resident and Escort of District 5

"Wow!" I exclaim, jumping from my seat and clapping my hands. Skipping gleefully round my apartment in the heart of the glorious Capitol, I praise Miss Youth and Thryll Fier. "The twist is absolutely amazing!" I squeak, lunging for my phone. I swiftly dial my best friend Cleo and admire my freshly manicured nails as I press the buttons. This week I've got them done lime green, to match my contact lenses, with black and gold stripes. They look stunning.

"Hello?" Cleo asks down the phone. At first I don't hear her because I'm too busy admiring my nails. They're so shiny that I can actually see my reflection in them! I look so pretty today. I pout, showing off my pink lips.

"Hello?" Cleo repeats herself. She makes me jump and I almost drop my phone. I catch it against the side of my face.

"Cleo, my baby, hello!" I squeal with excitement. "Did you see the twist being announced?"

"I did, I did. It's completely darling, is it not?"

"So darling." I agree, my eyes drifting down to my eccentric nails.

"Sucks to be District scum doesn't it?" I can see her wrinkling her nose at just the thought of those mutts. "Could you imagine if we had to fight our families?" She asks.

"Well thank the Capitol that we weren't born into those lower class families." I laugh, inspecting my lip gloss. "Oh my gosh." I say slowly whilst looking at the section of my lip where I smudged my lip gloss when catching the phone against my face.

"What?" Cleo cries.

"My lip gloss. It's ruined! I'm going to have to call you back."

"That's a disaster!" Cleo sympathises with me. "Take your time beautiful; I'll be waiting for you to call back."

"Bye darling." I make a kiss noise down the phone and wait for her to echo it before hanging up.

I head into my bathroom and switch on the lights that focus on my face. I wipe off my lip gloss and start my routine again. The lights dazzle me as I flick my hair over my shoulders and pout. I am stunning. I bat my eyelashes and admire my hair. I have it dyed black with gorgeous gold streaks- all to match my eyes and nails. The Districts love it when us Capitol citizens show off our wealth and happiness, because it persuades their young children to compete in the Hunger Games. I giggle to myself. District Five is a difficult District to deal with, but the pay is brilliant, and it gets me recognised in the Capitol.
I better get some good tributes this year. If I have the Victor that might even mean promotion to District One or Two! I clap my hands together. Now District One would be brilliant to work with. Swiftly applying a fresh layer of lip gloss I get ready to head out to meet with the other escorts.

Radiant Leev (18) District 1

I slam my trainer to the ground before thrusting my sword forward into the dummy. The whistle blows and I look to the observing trainer for my time. "Another record, Radiant." He nods, impressed. "Two minutes, thirty-nine seconds."

I punch the air and smirk; I didn't even break a sweat. Seeing all the girls watching me instead of training I grin and call out, "Ladies, shouldn't you be training?" I flick back my long brown hair and raise my eyebrows. I try my best to impress- I like to leave a lasting impression. The crowd shuffle slightly and begin to mumble. They give me a final glance before sighing and heading back to their stations.

Setting yet another record time only reinforces the fact that I will be the male volunteer, meaning I have to find a family member. I want to take part in the Hunger Games, but the twist is brutal, and with only one tribute coming out alive I have to choose carefully.

Looking up to the large metal tree, I find my little brother perching on a low branch among the fake leaves. It's a tricky branch to get to, but not too high, because my brother hates heights. His black as night hair is highly visible on the silver metal, and I swing myself up and work my way to him in no time.

"Hey, Shimmer." I grin, progressing along the branch to reach him. His eyes flick up from the plant book he's reading. Shimmer reads everything from story books from the Dark Days to factual books about plants. A shy grin blossoms across his freckled face. "Hello, Radiant. I saw your run on the course; you were very good."

"Thanks." I nod, seeing a bruise on my brother's chin. "Where did you get that?" I ask, pointing to his chin. He shakes his head.

"Someone's picking on you again, aren't they?" I ask, anger quickly rising. Shimmer's subtle nod confirms my suspicions and I slam my fist into the metal tree, which emits a loud 'clang'. "I thought I had made it clear to those bullies that they don't mess with you!" I shout in annoyance.

"It's okay, Radiant. They just don't understand my-"

"Well they should learn to understand your condition. Physical properties should not what be defines who you are." I say firmly, hanging onto a branch and leaning out, looking across the training centre. My rage quickly subsides as I realise Shimmer is quivering slightly. I don't mean to scare him. "Who was it?" I ask, swinging back in and propping myself up beside him.

I finally got it out of him, and no surprise it was the same old bully I thought I had taught a lesson to. "Quartz Demour" I shout, running up to the average sized guy who for some reason has always hated my younger brother. Probably because Shimmer is so much smarter than he is. Quartz was the one who started all of this bullying, back when Shimmer was only five. It's not Shimmer's fault he doesn't grow as quickly as others.

"What's wrong with you, you moron?" I charge at him, fists rising. He catches me round the waist, reading my predictable path, and flings me to the ground.

"What's wrong with your brother?" He asks, smirking. "Oh yeah- everything." He chuckles, looking behind me to Shimmer. "Why is he so small?" he asks, mocking my brother, who only stands at just a touch over five feet. Shimmer dips his eyes down and hides behind his fringe of dark hair. He shuffles uncomfortably.

"Like you actually want to know why." I snarl, lashing out at Quartz. I catch him round the face, and leave a long scratch over his skin.

"What do you think you're doing?" He glares it me, pushing me in the chest.

"Teaching you a lesson because the one I gave you when you were younger obviously wasn't good enough, was it?" I launch a flurry of punches ranging from his face down to his chest. He's winded, but stands back up strong and looks me in the eye.

"There's a crowd forming, Radiant. Better start shining, show off." Quartz snarls "I don't know how you've always been ranked higher than me. I should be the one volunteering, not you."

"Oh so that's why you've always been so bitter towards my brother and I." I frown, but look fondly towards Shimmer. No one can ever understand how much I care for him. He means the world to me, and I will do anything to protect him.

"Yeah. That and the fact he's an undergrown mutt." Quartz raises his eyebrows. In a split second I grab a sword from the rack to my right and lunge forward. No one is mean to my brother.

Athena Malone (40) District 2

My knife is so familiar to my hands now. My hands have practically moulded to hold the shape of the handle. I stole a set of twelve from the training centre ages back. I am too poor to train there, so I teach myself. The black body of the knife is warm from the heat of my hand, whilst the blade is ice cold, much like my heart, as I've been told many times.

I flick my wrist and release my fingers. The movement is so natural to me now. The knife flies as if it has wings as it leaves my hand. The silver blade glints in the air as it sails towards my target painted green and red. It sticks firmly in the centre of the circular board. I smirk and pick my way through the long grass in my garden. I know I am ready for the games. I rip the knife from the board with determination, a small smirk painted on my lips.

"I volunteer as tribute!" My voice echoes through the deadly silent town square. Heads turn as they watch a tall girl with black-as-night hair flowing down her back walk confidently to the stage. Frowns of confusion are etched onto people's faces. People that train at the centre begin to look at each other in shock. "Why has that girl volunteered?" a voice asks.

"I've never seen her before in my life" another responds.

"Who is she?" people murmur to each other.

I snatch the microphone from the ditsy Capitol citizen. "Athena Malone." I say, full with confidence, silencing the doubtful mutters. "I may not go to the training centre, but I guarantee you I will win these games."

And I did.

My wonderful recollection ends with the final fight.

I push my district partner to the floor, kicking his golden sword embellished with emeralds and diamonds from his reach. I smirk down on the muscled boy who never thought to fear me because I hadn't gone to the training centre. He tries to fight to get up, but to no avail. At some point he receives his sword again, and takes a slash at my face during our grapple for the win. The metallic taste of my own blood pouring into my mouth is strong, but that sourness just drives me on. I don't remember the final battle clearly after that, but it ends the same way it began- a flick of my wrist, and a knife goes flying. He is close range, but it doesn't matter. It sticks firmly into his tattered shirt, jutting out proudly above where his heart is, and begins to drain of blood.

I watch, smirking, and then begin laughing as the colour drains from his face. Large brown eyes beg me for help. The colour from his face transfers to his shirt, turning the white material red. I spit in his face as he begs for me to end it. I cruelly drag another knife down his arms, raking his skin until his screams fill my ears.

His sticky blood coats my fingertips as I finish the work on his arm. I take one of my bloody fingers and wipe it across his mouth, painting a clown-like smile across his dead lips. The glistening brown eyes I have come to know begins to fade as my cackle grows louder. His heart is still trying to work around my knife, so to end his suffering I swiftly throw three more knives at his body, piercing his neck, stomach and thigh. Instantly the cannon sounds.

"And I present to you the winner of the 228th Hunger Games, Athena Malone of District 2."

I wake with a smile on my lips. Twenty-two years on and I'm now 40, but nowhere near past my prime. I will enter the games again this year after hearing the plot twist. My wonderful son, Scorpio, has plans to volunteer this year, and most likely he will choose me to enter as his family member. He's the most powerful of the training centre, and so he should be, as he is my son. My only son. I have always wanted more, though my frail, insignificant husband never gave me more. However, this means I invest all my money in Scorpio, to give him the best chances of winning and becoming a strategic killer, just like myself.

So for the 250th Hunger Games, we will enter the arena together, and find the real victor in our family.

A/N- So that's chapter three. Sorry if my writing quality is poor; I'm a little rusty after all my time away from writing.
I hope you liked this chapter either way!
The next chapter will be some POVs from three outer districts I think, and then the following chapters will be the reapings.
The 200th Hunger Games should also be updated soon but my exams are getting nearer and unfortunately they must be my priority.